Lost Soul Comes Home
by The Katanna Twins
Summary: There was another who stood beside the Shinou in the war against the Originators. Now it is finally time for her to come home, but what will she be bringing with her? Shin Makoku is about to learn there is more that has been lost and hidden away after the Kingdom was founded...
1. Chapter 1

Lost Soul Comes Home

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One

It had been almost five years of blood, sweat, and tears but Kagome's quest for the Shikon Jewel had finally come to an end at last. Naraku had been defeated after a long and difficult battle. The shards of the Shikon No Tama had been joined once more and the completed jewel was now complete as it hung from its place at her neck in seeming innocence and harmlessness. Naraku had been defeated after a long and grueling battle that had ended with losses suffered on both sides.

Kouga, in his desire for vengeance, had gone after Kagura in a blind rage as his beast took over. He had died from his wounds, but he had still managed to fatally wound her in the process. Miroku had been the next to have fallen. Naraku had somehow rapidly accelerated the curse in the monk's hand, and so the wind tunnel had then claimed the life of the last of his line. Sango, seeing her love being swallowed had blindly attempted to rush to his side, and had been pulled along with him into the abyss.

In the end, only she, Inuyasha, Kirara and Sesshomaru had remained. Rin and Shippo had been sent away with Jaken on Ah-Un before the battle, and she thanked every god she could that they had been safe. That they had not had to watch as their friends died. They had managed to dispatch the remaining horde of Naraku's demon army between the four of them. Naraku was finally alone, but that did not make him an easy opponent. In the end, the years of training with her friends and allies had paid off and shown through with their teamwork. Naraku was dead, but that hadn't been the end.

Kagome's touch had purified the jewel and made it whole even as she used her power to cleanse the last of Naraku's remains. Sesshomaru watched on as Kagome had offered the Shikon to Inuyasha. He had done so much that she felt she owed him the chance to have his wish. He had surprised them all when he had turned it away. He'd told them that he had made a promise and would follow Kikyo to hell.

It had broken Kagome's heart to hear his decision. To know that he had planned to die either during or after the battle with Naraku. She had gotten over her romantic love for him long ago, but she had come to see both him and Sesshomaru as her own brothers over time. They had made peace with the older brother three years before, and it was because of him that she was so much stronger now. The others had been content for her to remain the way she was, but he had been the one to insist that she be trained properly.

Kikyo's ashes had been returned to her gravesite two years ago. The part of Kagome's soul that had kept the clay vessel alive had returned to where it belonged within Kagome. She had tried to make Inuyasha see this, but he just shook his head and said that it didn't matter. That he would join her as he had promised. It was with a heavy heart that she had known she would have to respect Inuyasha's decision as they watched him walk away from them for the last time.

She had turned to Sesshomaru with Kirara, and the three of them had left for the village of Edo where Rin, Shippo, Jaken, and Kaede waited to hear the news. Late that night Kagome knew Inuyasha had to be gone; as her heart ached with the sudden sense of loss that filled her. Several days passed as they mourned the deaths of their friends, and finally, Kagome knew that it was time for her to return to her own time.

She now stood near the well for the last time with Kirara, Sesshomaru, Rin, and Shippo. She had said her goodbyes to Kaede, and Jaken was waiting for his Lord and the children at the other end of the clearing. A light drizzle of rain fell from the sky, and Kagome knew that she was the cause. This kind of thing had been happening for a while now.

It was yet something else that was peculiar about her. Sesshomaru had been the first to notice with Miroku not too far behind him. None of them were sure how or why, but Kagome had some kind of connection with the elements. When she felt emotion deeply enough the elements around her reacted with her mood. When no one could explain it, they had just written it off and ignored it. As Miroku had said, it was just one more thing that made Kagome a special person, and the rest of their group had left it at that.

Even now, as Kagome refused to cry with her sadness these last few days, the sky seemed to have chosen to do so for her.

Kagome looked at Shippo and smiled as she picked him up in a hug. Sesshomaru had agreed to look after and train the kit until he was old enough to properly take care of and defend himself, and Kagome had let out a breath of relief. She had been so worried to leave him alone, but with Sesshomaru there she knew she could rest easy. He was a demon of honor, and he would keep his word. She knew Shippo would be in very good hands with the Western Lord.

They knew she could not take him with her. He would not be able to pass as a human until he was a bit older, and she did not want him to have to live a life in hiding until he mastered his illusions. Kagome also had a human lifespan. She would die before he would be old enough to be an adult, and she didn't want to do that for it would leave him without anyone to care for him again. No, staying with Sesshomaru was what was best for the little kitsune who she cared for as if he were her own son.

That didn't mean she would be going alone though. Kirara had refused to leave her side ever once since Sango's death. She had followed her everywhere as if afraid that Kagome would be the next to disappear if she wasn't protecting her. It was then that Kagome decided to take the nekomata with her. Kirara could pass for a normal cat even with two tails. She could pass the extra tail off as a unique trait she had been born with. It hadn't taken long for Kirara to have a rosary collar infused with Kagome's blood so the well would allow her passage.

"You be good for Sesshomaru, Shippo. Don't make too much mischief for him." Kagome told him as she held him tightly for what she knew would most likely be the last time.

Five years had created a special bond between the two. Through all the hard times the little kit had been there to provide a reason for her to smile. Her bonds with her friends here in the past had run deeper than she would have ever thought was possible. It wasn't really surprising when you had spent as much time together as they had. They had fought, bled, traveled, laughed, and cried together. Now it was all coming to an end.

"I promise. I'll miss you, Kagome!" Shippo sniffled into her shoulder as he wrapped his little arms around her neck.

"I'll miss you too Shippo, so much." She murmured into his hair and gave him one last squeeze before setting him down and turning to Rin.

"You stay out of trouble, Rin. Have fun with Shippo and Jaken, but don't let him take it too far. He is a fox demon, and they're known best for their pranks and tricks. Mind Sesshomaru as well." She said and pulled the young girl into a hug of her own.

"I will! Bye Kagome." Rin cried as tears slid down her cheeks o mix with the rain and Kagome wiped them away with her thumbs before releasing her.

She stepped away and turned to look up at Sesshomaru; who had been watching her with the children silently. The stoic demon lord had shown no expression during their goodbyes, but for the softening in his eyes as he looked back at her. Kagome stepped forward and embraced him. Slowly, his arms came up to return the hold as he allowed for this small act of affection.

They had been allies for three years, and he had become a consistent presence watching over her ever since. It had been him to really start her training, and it had been he who had silently supported her as she let go of any romantic feelings she'd had left for Inuyasha. She felt as both his arms banded around her, and remembered when she had returned his arm to him little more than a year ago. It had marked the day when her training under Miroku and Kaede in healing was completed.

"Take care of yourself, Sesshomaru. It was both an honor and a privilege fighting alongside you these last few years." Kagome said after she'd stepped back and smiled up at him.

"You as well, Miko. Do not become a disappointment to me." He said softly, and a tear fell from her eye to trail down her cheek as she nodded while clasping the hilt of the sword strapped to her waist as she pulled away.

She knew he meant not to disappoint him. He had been the one to train her until she had become skilled with a sword. He meant for her to continue with her training and to not disappoint him by neglecting the skills she had learned. Sesshomaru would never change, but Kagome had gotten to know him well over time. He had become closer to her than even Inuyasha in the end.

"I will." She replied before letting Kirara jump into her arms as she moved away.

She stepped over to the well before sitting on the edge and looking back at the three of them. They had all come to be people who were very precious to her. She would always love and remember them, but now it was time to let them go. They lived in a time and place that was not her own. Kagome had always known this day would come. She knew she didn't belong here as much as she loved them.

"Take good care of Kagome for us, Kirara!" Shippo called out, and Kagome smiled when he was answered with a mew of reassurance.

"Live well, and be safe!" Kagome called as she slid back and allowed the magic to carry her back to the other side for the last time with Kirara held safely to her chest.

123

It had been a terribly long day. First, with the emotional goodbye as she left through the well, and then her arrival home. Her family had been happy to greet her upon her return and had wanted to know everything that had happened even as her mother and grandfather watched her thoughtfully with something in their eyes that she couldn't describe though it had been there a while now. It wasn't until late at night hours later that she finally had the chance to relax.

Kagome sighed as she laid back in the bath, letting the hot water soak into her body as she let the tension of the last few days go, and Kirara stood watch over her on the edge of the tub. Absentmindedly she washed the still healing wounds from the battle as her thoughts drifted. More and more, since she had turned sixteen, she had begun feeling like this wasn't where she belonged. The past hadn't felt like home either. It was hard for her to describe, but the feeling of wrongness was a creeping feeling that had begun to take over more as time passed. Nothing had felt truly right in a long time. It hadn't mattered which era she was in.

She had been having vivid dreams that felt all too real over the last three years. Dreams of people and places she felt she should know. People that spoke in a language she knew was foreign and yet she understood it. She didn't fully understand how she could know the language though as she had never heard it before outside of those dreams.

Her power had grown far more than she or any of her friends had expected. What was most puzzling was that she really didn't look to be getting any older these last few years. Kagome still looked sixteen even though she had turned twenty a couple of months ago. Her mother and grandfather both had a sad look in their eyes when she would look at her at times, but she had always thought it was more because of how much time she had spent on the other side of the well. Her friends in the past had asked her more than once if she was sure she was completely human with all her peculiarities.

Soon, the hot water and the stress of the last few weeks had lulled her into a peaceful doze under Kirara's watchful eye.

'What is that?' Kagome's mind was muddled by sleep as she awoke to a pulling and swirling sensation.

Blue eyes widened in shock as the feeling of the tub fell away from under her. Confusion and some fear filled her as the water formed a vortex that she couldn't pull away from. Kagome was pulled under as she lost her grip on the edge of the tub. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped, and she found herself staring up into a clear blue sky instead of the ceiling that should have been there. Sitting up with panting breaths from the adrenaline rush she looked around. She felt her instincts to fight flair to life at the unfamiliar surroundings as she knew she was not in her bathroom at home anymore.

The first thing she noticed was that she was in what looked like a courtyard surrounded by stone walls. The second was that she was sitting in a fountain and that she wasn't alone. Two men and three teenage boys stared back at her with eyes wide with shock. The blonde teen had quickly covered one of the other's eyes, and it was as the air touched and cooled her bare exposed flesh, that she remembered that she was naked.

"Kyaaaaa!" Kagome screamed as she tried to cover herself from their sight by crouching into the water and covering her chest with her arms.

Wherever she was now, apparently Kirara had been pulled along with her as she had shifted almost immediately into her larger form. Her naked body was blocked from the sight of the guys as the demon cat stood in front of her growling protectively. There were shouts of alarm as the two men and the blonde-haired teen drew swords as they moved in front of the two dark-haired teens in a defensive position. Kagome wrapped her arms around Kirara as she allowed her to protect her.

Looking over nekomata's back, Kagome took in the sight of the guys. They were wary of Kirara, and their stances showed they were protective of the two teens they had pushed behind them. She was unarmed and naked; her sword as well as her bow and arrows having been left in her room during her bath. If it came to a fight then Kirara would not be able to cover her at the same time she was fighting to defend her without the risk of serious injury. The best Kagome would be able to do would be to work through her embarrassment and try to disarm one of them for their sword.

Kagome took a second to remember their startled looks just before she had screamed. Kirara was just trying to protect her, but they were also just defending themselves. They had been as surprised to see her there as she had been to be there. They hadn't drawn their swords until Kirara had shifted and snarled in a warning.

"Wait. Please don't attack her! She's only trying to protect me!" Kagome shouted at them as she wrapped her arms more firmly around Kirara's neck, and peeked up over her back.

They looked a bit confused as their attention was drawn back to her though they kept an eye on the large cat in front of her. She couldn't blame them. This whole situation was confusing for her as well. Who were these people, and where were they? What the heck was going on?! Nothing was making any sense to her right now.

"She's speaking Japanese." The teen without glasses said from behind them with a tone of surprise as he tried to see around his protectors.

It wasn't Japanese he had spoken, but she found she understood him just fine. Kagome found herself confused once again at this. How was it that she could understand what he had just said? It sounded a lot like the language she had only heard in her dreams. How was that possible? She had searched and searched on the internet, but that language didn't exist. She had thought it to be something her mind had made up.

"It doesn't matter. Do you see that creature?!" The blonde said back in the same language as he didn't take his eyes off Kirara.

"I don't think they're going to attack me, Kirara. You're making them uneasy, and they are only trying to defend the two behind them." Kagome said and tugged lightly on the fire cat to move them both farther away from the group.

Kirara stopped her snarling and allowed Kagome to pull her farther back without protest. She didn't take her eyes off them though as she remained guarded and continued to shield Kagome from them. Slowly, they lowered their swords a bit.

"What is it?" The tall man with short brown hair spoke back in Japanese, and Kagome breathed with some relief that he understood her.

"She. She is a nekomata. She is my friend. Kirara won't hurt anyone unless she thinks I'm in danger." Kagome replied, hoping to reassure the man.

"Oh dear. I fear I've arrived a little too late." A female voice sounded from toward the inside of the building.

Kagome looked over to see what looked like a young girl with long silver-white hair that fell to pool on the floor. She wasn't fooled by the child-like appearance of this girl though. How could she be after spending so much time around demons in feudal japan? Her purple eyes told a much different story as they held a depth of knowledge that betrayed her young appearance. She was far older than she looked. Dressed in an all too familiar outfit; Kagome knew what she was on sight.

'A Priestess… Where the heck am I?' Kagome thought only to have her attention pulled to the second woman who approached her.

She carried fabric in her arms as she walked cautiously toward her. Kirara did not see her as a threat, and so she was allowed to pass by her easily. Kagome gaped a bit when the young woman bowed to her and unfolded the fabric the show her a beautiful white dress with silver threading. She moved to help Kirara block Kagome from the view of the men before speaking softly.

"Great Lady, please let me help you dress. You must be cold." She said and Kagome could only stare in astonishment.

Using the woman and Kirara as cover from the men she was soon dressed in the flowing white garment figuring that accepting it was better than nothing at all. The skirt hugged her hips tightly before it fell in folds to her ankles while the top was completely backless. The white cloth came up in the front to cover her breasts, and connected at the back of her neck. It left the valley of flesh between her breast exposed all the way down to her hips. And only connected by a delicate golden chain just under her bust that tickled against the exposed skin. The woman stepped away quickly after, and Kagome stood straight as the men watched her step out of the water. She felt a little self-conscious about showing so much skin, but the dress was beautiful, and it was far better than being completely exposed.

"Kirara. It's okay." Kagome murmured softly as she stroked the cat's soft fur calmingly; not even noticing that she had been speaking in the strange but oddly familiar language from her dreams.

Seeing that Kagome was dressed, and had relaxed a bit, Kirara nodded before moving to stand beside her. Even though the fire-cat didn't understand what she had just been told, Kirara had been in Kagome's company long enough to know what the tones of her voice and body language meant. Standing tall, Kagome watched as the silver-haired priestess smiled gently at her.

"It's okay guys. I don't think she wants to hurt us." The teen with black hair and eyes said from behind the others as the other with glasses agreed with him even as he hadn't taken his intense gaze off of her.

"The Great Lady is to come to no harm within these walls. Please put away your swords." The priestess said softly, and the older two sheathed their swords, but the blonde remained abstinent.

"How do we know she won't hurt Yuuri? This wench just appears out of nowhere, naked, and then that beast starts snarling! How did she even get here!" He retorted, and Kagome had to lay a hand on Kirara's side to calm her at the act of aggression.

"My name is Kagome! Not wench and I already said that Kirara won't hurt anyone without reason. You are not certainly not helping convince her you are not a threat by waving around your blade." She responded a little angrily, but her voice rang clear and bell-like with an authority that seemed to surprise all but a few in the room coming from the woman who stood tall and straight-backed in front of them.

"Now Wolfram, Ulrike has said that she's not to be harmed. There must be a reason why she is here." The brown-haired older man tried to pacify the teen.

"Where did she come from?" The tall and broad man with long dark grey hair asked as he looked at the petite priestess.

"She has been summoned here by the will of the Great One. Her companion was unexpected, but as she seems to be her protector, is no less welcome." Ulrike replied softly as she smiled to lighten any remaining tension.

At that, the men looked startled, though the teen wearing glasses didn't. Kagome could only guess that this 'Great One' was someone of vast importance. The question on her mind was what this person wanted with her. Was he after the jewel? Her hand clasped around it protectively at her neck. She couldn't let anyone get to it. It had already been the cause of enough tragedy.

"Why would Shinou bring her here?" The teen without glasses asked in confusion.

"The Great One has brought her here because she is someone very important, King Yuuri. To him. To Shin Makoku. To us all." The priestess said with a knowing smile as she looked back at Kagome when the teen with glasses took a few steps closer.

"He's finally done it, then. This really is her?" His voice was tender in an emotion of what seemed to almost be disbelief and his gaze soft as if lost in a memory as he gazed at her.

"Who is she, Murata?" Yuuri asked him.

"She is someone Shinou cherishes just as much as the Great Demon Kingdom." His, Murata's, answer was vague even as he did not look away from her.

"What do you mean? Why am I here? I do not know this 'Great One' you are speaking of." Kagome denied in confusion as she shifted closer to Kirara feeling unsure of what was happening.

"There is a seal on your memories, my lady. Perhaps it is best we let you remember for yourself. May I?" Ulrike gave her a gentle smile before coming to stand in front of her.

"A seal on my memories? There's no way!" She denied with uncertainty, and with a little alarm.

"Yes. You have begun to remember our language even now. Tell me, my lady. For some time now you have been having dreams, a feeling that you've forgotten something, or that you don't belong; have you not? That is all because the seal on your mind has begun to decay. I can release it, and therefore what has been hidden from you. Will you allow me to do this?" Ulrike asked her, and Kagome frowned in thought.

This priestess, Ulrike, was right. Everything she had just said was right. Had her memories really been sealed? If they had, and Kagome was really starting to believe so, how much of her memory was she missing? As part of her training as a priestess, she had learned that there were many types of sealing techniques. Removing a seal on memories could be a painful process depending on how much had been sealed away within the mind. Steeling herself, she made a decision. She had to remember whatever it was she had lost. If part of her memory was missing then she needed to find out what it was.

Kagome needed answers. She had so many questions. So much had been left unanswered since she was sixteen. She needed to know why.

"Yes, I will accept your assistance, Lady Ulrike. Kirara I need you to stay right here. She's going to help me, but it might hurt so don't attack her." She explained to her friend in Japanese so she wouldn't attack the priestess for causing her pain that was unavoidable.

Kagome felt the cool brush of power as Ulrike's fingers made contact with her forehead. She couldn't hold back the scream of pain and anguish as knowledge, thoughts, and long-forgotten memories were unlocked as the seal crumbled away. It lasted only a minute with Kirara supporting her weight as she fell, but it had seemed far longer to her as she remembered. Everything. She looked back up at Ulrike who just gave her a kind smile before stepping aside. She pointed into the tomb. The tomb that she could remember as it still was being built.

"Brother!" She cried as she darted off inside, and Kirara followed hot on her heels.

123456

This is a story idea I have been playing with on and off for the last couple of years. Here's the first chapter though I don't know how far I will go with it or if it will ever be completed. If not then I figured I would at least post it to give others some inspiration for this crossover. Updates will be very sporadic if I do get more done on it. I can promise there are two more chapters that I just have to edit and flesh out. After that, I don't know if I'll have more to post. I will try to continue this to its conclusion, but I've been hitting a wall for a while now with this one. I just wanted to give you a bit of forewarning on that before anyone starts demanding I update.

~Ryu


	2. Chapter 2

Lost Soul Comes Home

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Two

Kagome could hear the shouts of confused voices as they followed behind her but paid them no mind in her dash through the hallways. She ignored them as well as the slight prickling sensation along her skin. Nothing else mattered at that moment as she took several turns she made her way into the innermost sanctum of the tomb. This was the place. It was one of the last places that had been ingrained so deeply into her memories of this world. Memories that told her everything she needed to know. Everything she had been dreaming, thinking and feeling for years all made sense to her now.

"Brother!" Kagome called out as she threw open the doors only to freeze in horror when she saw three seemingly innocuous boxes resting upon the podium in front of the crest that rested high on the wall.

Fear shivered up her spine as the others that had been following her made it into the room. What were they doing here? Her breath shortened in fear at the sight of them. Those boxes were never meant to be anywhere near each other. After all it had cost to seal them away… Had the seals on the boxes become weak as they had estimated they one day would?

"Who is she looking for Murata?" The dark-haired teen's voice came from behind Kagome as the other dark haired teen with glasses came to stand beside her.

"Well? Are you going to show yourself to her, or continue to make her worry over you?" Kagome looked at him strangely before looking back at the boxes as a blonde man stepped out from the shadows between them.

Blue eyes connected with another set of blue that matched them down to the same hue. A smile came to the man as Kagome let out a dry sob and ran forward. Hands reached up and paused inches from his face as if afraid to touch him and proving this really wasn't real. A hand reached up and gently connected with her own before pressing it to his cheek. The tingle of his spirit felt solid though it did not hold the warmth of the living flesh she could remember.

"What is going on?" The dark-eyed teen without glasses asked as he watched the two from behind the one he'd called Murata.

They were smiling with such joy and love even as tears fell down the woman's cheeks. They watched as Shinou's arms came up to wrap her shoulders in a tight embrace while she buried her face and cried into his chest. The way he held her seemed as if she was the most precious thing in the world, and surprised all but one of those watching them. For him, it was a sight that was nostalgic now and the familiarity had been lost to another life.

"What you're seeing is a reunion thousands of years in the making, Yuuri." Murata told his friend only to hear someone make a choking sound.

"Explain." A deep baritone voice said for the first time since just after Ulrike had entered the courtyard.

"This girl is the one who is the Shinou's little sister, Lord von Voltaire. She was the youngest of the two sisters that came with us from the old country. A mazoku warrior and priestess of great power and purity." Murata explained with a soft smile as he watched them as Shinou comforted the woman.

"There are no records of any siblings joining him." Another voice replied with some confusion.

"That would be because I ensured the records were destroyed, Lord Weller." Shinou said as he and Kagome slowly joined them.

"Why destroy the records?" Yuuri asked curiously as he looked between the two and back toward his friend who also held answers to what was happening.

Kagome had not left the blonde and stayed in contact with his arm around her shoulder while she had hers wrapped around his waist as she pressed into his side. She had been crying as the tear tracks were still fresh, but her blue eyes were clear. She held herself with a peaceful regality even as she stood barefoot upon the stone floor. Was she really Shinou's little sister? It certainly appeared so with the tender looks the blonde gave her as his blue eyes didn't pull away from her for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Has everything returned to you, my dear?" Shinou asked the girl instead of answering the question.

"Everything. The seal was already losing its power after I came of age again. I just wasn't able to make sense of it all yet. Where is Kenha? He is never found far from your side." Kagome asked as she looked around.

"I am right here, Hanae. Though unlike you, I am not the same as back then." Murata said only to have an armful of the twenty-year-old a second later.

"Woah!" Yuuri exclaimed as he jumped back so as not to be knocked over from her quick movement as she launched herself at the teen standing beside him, and the one she had heard called Lord Weller caught him.

Murata let out a quiet chuckle as the life was squeezed from him and tears fell from her eyes once more as she soaked in his presence. It felt so different with him being the same height as she is when he had always been so much taller than her before. Yet the grip around her, the gentle touch of his hand rubbing her back, and the quiet chuckle in her ear were all the same. She knew it couldn't be anyone else than the man she knew it to be. Soon enough, Kagome stepped back to look him over. Blue eyes framed by dark lashes turned pensive as she looked at him. Finally, she stepped back before looking between them all with a dawning understanding in her eyes. She looked toward the boxes sitting on the platform before scowling at both of them.

"You've gathered both the keys and the boxes. There is only a residual feeling of taint in the air as well. It's already over, isn't it?" Her voice took on a soft but dangerous tone that both Shinou and Murata recognized.

They both took a step back as she leveled her gaze at them both. They looked at each other before watching her like she might explode at any moment. Yuuri, Conrart, Wolfram, and Gwendal all watched on at the byplay between the three in both confusion and intrigue. They had never seen one, much less both of them, show trepidation or fear over anything. Even her furred companion had shifted a little farther away from her at the tone of her voice.

"Now, Hanae. I know what you're thinking." Shinou spoke in a soothing tone to which he only received a glare.

"Do you now, Shin? If that is true, then why don't you tell me what I am thinking?" Kagome growled in a warning, and the air became charged around her as she scowled and the blue in her eyes seemed to shift like a tsunami in her rising anger.

"We weren't going to risk you." Murata said when he felt the air spark.

"Weren't going to risk me? I pushed out and purified the taint of the Originators from my soul a thousand years ago! How was I at risk?! You both promised! Was I not your sister? Could you not in trust me? In my abilities?" Kagome snarled in anger that did nothing to hide the hurt she was also feeling.

"You are our sister! Our little sister. That's why we would not risk you. We agreed that after their taint had touched you once we would not chance it again!" Shinou snapped back passionately as his own power came forth and what seemed an invisible wind shifted their hair.

"How many times, Hanae? How many times did you regain your memories only to have the ritual you performed return you to a child when a human lifetime had ended? A child knowing nothing so that your soul could cleanse the taint of them from you? How many of Kenae's descendants have raised you knowing that the day would come when you would be taken from them and brought home to Shin Makoku? It wasn't the same as what either of us went through." Murata asked knowing the others were watching the apparent sibling quarrel with rapt attention.

"How isn't it? Shin, his very soul sealed here and lingering in death, acting behind the scenes even as his soul was being corrupted and twisted by them with the passage of time. Kenha, being reborn over and over again into new lives with the memories of what we've been fighting for only to continue on. For millennia we have sacrificed for the day we could finally end it, but when it finally came down to finishing the fight, you both left me out!" It was then that the dam within her cracked and the tears of frustration, sorrow, and heartache of thousands of years broken through the anger to trail slowly down her face.

The others shifted uneasily as the crash of thunder echoed from outside. The sound of rain was heavy from the other side of the stone walls. Gwendal and Conrart shot a glance at each other before focusing on the girl in front of them. There was no mistaking the cause of the sudden storm outside. It had been a calm and clear day before she arrived, only to change when she became upset.

A sob wracked her, and she kneeled to the floor to steady herself when she felt her legs go weak as she tried to push the emotions back knowing that she did not want to let go in front of the strangers who watched them. Relief came next as both Shinou and Murata kneeled on either side of her to comfort her, and Kirara gave a crooning growl in an attempt to soothe her. It was over. The Originators were gone. Shin Makoku was finally safe, but she felt robbed. Robbed of the opportunity to help the two that she had looked up to for so long. The two people she would forever cherish. Once again they had chosen to rely on each other, and try to protect her.

"Hanae…" Shinou whispered the name she had been born to, the name she had not answered to in millennia, and she started to calm at the familiar tones in his voice that offered comfort.

It took a while, but eventually, she settled as she pushed her emotions to the back of her mind as she had done many times before. Now was not the time to deal with them. Finally, she looked back up at the two of them. Reaching up, Kagome stood as she grasped the jewel and broke the clasp from her neck. She turned to the podium where the three boxes sat. Now empty, they were no longer a threat, and so there was no reason to fear their presence here any longer.

"You may have stopped me from taking part in the main event, but this much still has yet to be done." She said as she turned to show them the jewel that dangled from the chain she held clenched in her hand.

"Is that what I think it is?" Murata asked in alarm, and Shinou's back went straight and stiff as he stared at the small jewel.

"The name I have answered to for the last twenty years is Kagome, and I have had many other names over the years. Over one thousand years ago I was called Midoriko. I was finally able to rip away the taint that the Originators had left on my soul during a battle with what the people of Earth considered to be demons. I was able to use them as a sacrifice to seal the taint of the Originators into the form of this jewel before I died and the ritual upon me took its effect. It was then returned to me in other human 'lifetimes' to protect until my return to Shin Makoku." Her eyes held a sad look as she remembered the years spent as a priestess known as Kikyo.

She had not held all her memories at the time, or she would have been able to save Inuyasha from himself. The Kikyo that he had gone to hell to be with didn't exist. The puppet created by the dark Miko with a part of her soul had only held her suppressed memories from that life. That fragment had been returned to her upon the death of the vessel.

He had died for nothing at all. Kikyo's soul had never spent time in hell because that soul had always belonged to Hanae; to Kagome who had never truly died. She regretted that the seal placed by the ritual had not fully broken in time for her to stop him. She truly had loved him in those years but had grown past the emotions she held for him in this one.

"The humans of that time called it the Shikon No Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls. I don't think they truly knew how close they were to the truth. I may have cleansed myself of their taint, but in doing so, my actions caused a lot of pain to the people of Earth. Anyone other than myself who comes into contact with it will be corrupted by their taint. What I have here in my hand is the last remnants of all that they once were." She said softly to the shock of all in the room.

"What?! You're just carrying around a part of the Originators?" The blonde that she had heard being called Wolfram by others shouted at her.

"Unfortunately, I have not been strong enough to destroy it completely." Kagome said as she grasped the jewel tightly enough for her nails to cut into her flesh.

"There is no priestess as strong as you. If you managed to expel it that long ago then you must have some idea of how to be rid of it." Murata said knowingly to the surprise of those who didn't know her.

"I would have done so had I any idea. When I realized what I had unleashed on Earth I eventually ordered it burned with me upon my 'death'. When the ritual took effect, and I was 'reborn', the jewel was contained within my body from then on. Five years ago I was pulled down a magical well on my fifteenth birthday by one of Earth's demons. They are very different beings than we are. They have animal-like characteristics and instincts. I was taken five hundred years into the past where she tore it from my body. With the seal still locking away my memories I did not have the knowledge needed to protect it." Kagome choked and sighed as she looked up at them all with a haunted look that was plain for all of them to see.

"Due to a foolish mistake on my part, the jewel was shattered. The shards scattered all over the country of Japan. I have spent the past five years hunting down the shards. I made friends, allies, and enemies alike. We were finally able to regain the shards, and it is once again whole, but at great cost. Even as only a fragment of the Originators, the jewel has caused so much death. In the end, it is entirely my fault." Kagome said as she brought the jewel into her palm and clasped it to her chest with a look of utter despair at the memories and emotions the words she spoke invoked within her.

"I had been storing my power away over the years to destroy it, but it has not been enough. The ritual I performed those millennia ago allows me only a small portion of my true power. So I had planned to wait until I finally came home. I was going to merge the jewel with the boxes so that they could either be sealed again or destroyed altogether." She continued before narrowing her eyes at Murata and Shinou.

"That was how I was going to be rid of it, but you decided between yourselves that I was not to be included. That was the only other way I knew of, and now it is no longer an option." Kagome said with defeat as her shoulders slumped tiredly.

It had been a long day already, and with this and regaining her memories of the last four thousand years, she was exhausted. Her mind was racing even now to assimilate all the new information. Shinou was looking a little guilty, and Murata had a contemplative look on his face. Kenha had always been both the strategist and the voice of reason Shin needed. Shin had been a lot more rash before he had tracked down their half-brother. Where Kenae or Hanae's voices of reason would have been ignored, Kenha's was heeded and considered.

Shin, Kenae, and Hanae had been born of the same mother and father. Shin looked just like their promiscuous father with his blonde hair and blue eyes while Hanae had only gotten her eyes from the man. Kenha, however, looked just like his mother while taking almost nothing from their father. In a way, Kagome had loved him all the more for that. Shin had always been the protective and courageous big brother to her. Kenha had come into their lives later, and he may have been their father's illegitimate son, but he had treated her just as preciously as Shin always had from the start.

"Perhaps it is best for you to go and rest. Tomorrow we can talk about this more." Murata said gently when he saw the exhaustion pulling at her.

"You may be right. We'll talk more tomorrow?" Kagome asked as she suppressed another yawn; her agitation fleeing before the exhaustion that was finally gaining its grasp over her.

"Of course. You are finally back home where you belong. We have all the time in the world now. There is already a room that has been prepared for you. Come, I will show you the way." Shinou replied with a genuine smile as he kissed her forehead like he had when she was still a small child.

"Yes, we can properly introduce you to the others in a few days, and explain things to them. I'm sure they are confused considering how you arrived." Murata said with a little teasing in his tone.

Kagome froze at that comment as her face flamed with heat and grew red.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Shinou asked curiously, and Kagome flushed with embarrassment before turning a glare on the older blonde.

"It's all your fault!" She growled before turning back toward the door and taking a quick leave with Kirara following along at her side.

"What did I do this time?" Shinou asked Murata in confusion only to get a smile before he went to see the others out of the temple for the night.

"You'll find out soon enough. You might want to catch up with her." Murata said as she was gaining distance.

123

"Are you alright, Hanae?" Shin asked after they had made it to the rooms that had been built for her when the temple had been constructed.

"I will be fine Shin. I am just feeling more emotionally strained than truly tired. My memories are starting to organize themselves, and I have just returned. So much has happened since I left, and there is so much that will need to be done." Kagome replied with a small sigh as she sat down on the edge of her bed only for him to join her.

Shin sat next to Kagome and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. He pulled her to lean against his chest to offer comfort now that they were alone. Kagome's expression softened at the familiar gesture that had been long absent from her life. Resting her head against his shoulder she allowed her body to relax and for him to support her.

"There is no need to push yourself Hanae. You've just returned to us after being away for so long. Take some time before rushing into everything you feel you will need to do. Let yourself have the time you need." Shin said as he held her to him and carded his fingers through her hair.

He took the moment to simply enjoy her presence. After so many years apart they were finally together again. Everything they had worked for, and everything they had fought for and sacrificed since leaving the Old Country had been worth it. It was over. Everything had been worth it for this. Shin Makoku was prospering under the rule of his chosen King, and his little sister was home where she belonged at last.

There was the matter of the jewel needing to be destroyed, but they would see it done as they had everything else. Shin knew there was more on Hanae's mind than just the jewel. There were things she could do for Shin Makoku that others simply couldn't. Yet he also knew that they now had time. There was no need for her to put so much pressure on herself.

Their war was almost over. It had not really ended with the Originators being sealed withing the forbidden boxes. Now all that was left was the fragment of them contained within the jewel. The rest had been taken care of. Now Hanae was back, and they would find a way to be rid of the last fragment of all that they once were.

Hanae would finally get to live out her life as he had always wished for her.

"I know you are right, brother mine. I've just been worried for so long... About you, Kenha, the Kingdom, our people, and the jewel. I have caused so much pain and death during my time on Earth. I know it was because of the jewel, but the people there would have never been exposed to that abomination were it not for me. At the same time, I know that it still would have come to be had I never left Shin Makoku. It could have been our people who suffered. After they had already been made to suffer for so long before we sealed them." Kagome shivered in revulsion and anger at the thought as she pressed her face into his collar.

She did not notice the young man who had come to stand in the door of her room, his glasses concealing his eyes, and his expression showing none of the earlier happiness or light-heartedness. Shin pulled Kagome tightly to him as he felt the first tear that fell and looked up Murata without moving his chin from where it cradled her into him.

"I have become such a despicable person... For everything that I have caused to those of Earth; I don't regret it. I can't regret that it was not our people to suffer because of me. How can I feel that way? How can I still believe that all of it was worth it? It was all my fault! What kind of priestess have I become that I can feel like that?!" Kagome cried as the emotions that had been she had pushed away in front of the strangers finally became too much now that she was cradled in the comforting embrace of her older brother.

Shin had always been both an older brother as well as like a father to her during those long years in the Old Country. He had been the one whose strength she had relied on since she had been a small child. It had been her loyalty and love for him that had driven her in the war. It was that same drive that had given her the will to keep going after she had been separated from him. Every time she had remembered who she really was it had been the knowledge that he was still fighting as his soul was slowly corrupted that had enforced her will to continue on. Knowing that he was waiting for the time when she could return.

She had finally come back. Here she was held in his arms again, and yet she could feel none of the comfort that his warmth had provided as a child. The heartbeat that would thump steadily beneath her ear. The steady rise and fall of his chest as he took even breaths. Even the sound of the metal holding his clothing and sword in place as he moved. It was all absent.

What did offer comfort was the familiar feeling of his powerful maryoku that brushed her own. It was his maryoku that made his soul visible. That allowed her to be held by him now. To feel his arms wrap around her as she cried out the years of pain and uncertainty into his chest.

The bed shifted on the other side of her, and she felt as another hand came to rest on her shoulder, the fingers squeezing gently in an offer of support. She knew immediately who it must be though this hand was smaller than the man she had known. Kagome looked up into black eyes that seemed so familiar while they were different at the same time. Black hair and glasses framed the unfamiliar face even as the gentle look in those eyes told her he was really who she thought him to me.

Kenha. That affection and warmth showing only through those eyes and the small curve of his lips could only belong to her other older brother. One who she had come to know only later, but had come to love just as much as she did Shin. Kenha had been her silent support when she had been worried about the war and those dear to her. When she had felt worn down by the years of loss and bloodshed it had been Kenha's presence that would act as a soothing balm.

She could already tell this teenager was different than her brother in a lot of ways. He had been reborn as a new person, but to her, he was the same brother she had known and loved all those years ago. As a priestess, she had always been more sensitive to what was there under the surface of a person's skin. This teen held Kenha's soul and memories. The emotions were a part of those memories.

She could only feel the slightest difference between the two, and it was one that she knew had developed from each new incarnation over the centuries. From his experiences and memories from other lifetimes. Kagome knew that her own soul would have changed much the same from time's passing. Even so, at the core of their beings, she was still Hanae as he was still Kenha.

"I apologize, sister. We have left you alone for far too long." Murata said as she grasped his hand and wove her fingers into his with an almost desperate grip.

"We're here with you now. You'll never have to leave us again." Shin said as he adjusted his grip on Kagome to allow Murata to get comfortable as they both offered comfort and reassurance, it was with those words that she let herself fall apart.

She was safe to let it all go now.

123456

This is the end of the second chapter to A Lost Soul Comes Home. There is another chapter waiting to be edited and then posted. I don't know how quickly posts will make it out, if at all after the next few chapters so please be patient with me. I'm having to rewrite some of what I had written as it is., and I'm also working on other my other stories at the same time. I hoped you liked it, and let me know what you thought with a review. Feedback does help motivate me to work on my stories though reviews with the single word of 'update' will be ignored. Those actually irritated me as they come across as more of a demand, and I write for fun. I'm not going to be pressured to update any faster just because someone tells me to. Anyway, I hope you're all staying safe and healthy out there with the current COVID pandemic going on.

~Ryu


	3. Chapter 3

Lost Soul Comes Home

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Three

Blue eyes stared down silently at the sleeping young woman lying in the bed within the room. It was late, but the dead had no need for sleep. She looked peaceful now even with the tracks the dried tears had left on her cheeks and just watching her steady breathing reinforced a sense of calm and peace he had not had for many long years. He smiled lightly as she curled farther into the blanket around the two-tailed cat who lay watching him; eyes glowing as they focused on him in the dark where he sat on the bed behind the girl. He could appreciate the feline for being protective of her as the cat's eyes shifted to the teen on her other side.

"She's not going to disappear." Murata said quietly from the other side of the bed where he still held her hand with one of his own.

"I am not sure about that. Is this truly reality, or just another dream?" Shinou spoke quietly so as not to wake her.

"It is real. She is finally home in Shin Makoku." Murata reassured him as he shifted and looked down at the girl with a small smile.

"Is it truly? It doesn't feel real. Everything we have done has been so that this day could come. It seems like a dream knowing that while Hanae has been returned to us, Kanae is gone forever. Nothing is as it was. As it should have been." Shin said as he leaned forward to clasp his hands as he settled his elbows on his legs.

"We always knew Kanae leaving would be the last we would see her. She had so much love to give to anyone she met, and she loved you and Hanae so much more than anyone. She also knew that she didn't have the power you and Hanae have. She knew there was no way for her to use the ritual Hanae did. She went to earth knowing that it would be the last time she would see Shin Makoku, but she still chose that path because she knew Hanae would need her. Hanae being here now is proof that she accomplished what she set out to do." Murata said as he watched the small cat curiously as the feline nuzzled Kagome when she shifted in her sleep.

"It's still not over." Shinou said knowingly as he glanced at the small jewel that rested on the bedside table next to the bed.

"We will find a way to be rid of the jewel as well. The largest part is finished." Murata reassured him, but he was still feeling frustrated.

"Yet it is still her that carries the biggest part of the burden. If she had not left then she would have become as consumed as I became. I knew what could happen when I chose to fight the Originators, but she was innocent. Hanae was barely more than a child, and yet I allowed her and Kanae to follow us." He said as he cursed himself again for his own stupidity in his youth.

"That may be so, but we all made our choices, and she made hers when she came with us from the old country. There have been many sacrifices to get to where we are today. You could not have expected to protect her forever." Murata scolded him lightly for he knew those thoughts.

He'd had them far too often over the years as well. In every life he had lived there had been some lingering doubts. They were thoughts and feelings of guilt that would never fade; so imprinted upon his soul they had become. He may have been born Ken Murata in this life, but he had never forgotten what had happened all those centuries ago.

His soul had never forgotten the love he had felt for their youngest sister. Kenha had been only one of many bastard children sired by their father, but Hanae had never treated him like he was anything less than her brother just because they didn't share a mother. She had never shunned him for his black hair and eyes; something that had been thought to be a bad omen in those times. The girl was so pure that he had never wanted to see her spirit tainted by the war they had volunteered for. Yet as pure of spirit as she was, Hanae was also just and strong and stubborn as they were.

"I suppose you are right, as always." Shinou said, and they continued to watch her sleep for some time with only lighter topics spoken until she started to stir about an hour later.

123

Kagome came back to awareness slowly to the sound of two voices speaking to each other from either side of her on the bed. It didn't take long for her to remember what had happened. She had fallen asleep after breaking down in the supportive presence of both of her brothers. Her body felt heavy as she curled into the warmth in front of her; Kirara shifting to accommodate the movement that pushed her closer to the teen laying on that side of her mistress. It felt like a struggle to open her eyes, but she did manage as blue eyes looked up into black.

"Kenha." She murmured quietly as he gave her a small smile and she felt a hand come up behind her to comb her hair away from her face.

"How are you feeling now, Hanae?" Shin asked and Kagome smiled drowsily.

"You fell asleep on us for a while." Murata said as Kagome stretched a bit to rid herself of the tense feeling in her muscles.

"Better. I just felt so overwhelmed. I'm sorry." She replied a bit sheepishly as she sat up and saw that the two of them had kept her cradled between them, and Kirara had curled into her stomach.

"You don't need to be sorry. I grew up with the memories of my past lives. It's always been like watching and feeling things like a movie of someone else's life for me. You're remembering like a person who had amnesia and woke up knowing who you t are. Your emotions will be a bit mixed up for a while." Murata tried to reassure her as she pushed herself up and turned to be able to face both of them with Kirara curled up in her lap.

"I know. It's been like this every time, but it's usually a more gradual process. Ulrike shattered what was left of the seal. Everything just came back all at once while I usually have more time for things to make sense. I'll be alright." Kagome smiled gently to let them know she meant what she said before taking a breath and pushing away from the subject of her emotional state.

"When will you be making another trip to Earth?" Kagome asked Murata in an attempt to change the subject.

Luckily, Shin and Murata both let her do so. They weren't going to push her to deal with the emotions of remembering everything right now. She would adjust at her own pace as she had done so many times before. They would be there to help her this time though as she found her footing in her life as it was now. It would do more harm than good if they were to force her to deal with everything too quickly

"I'm not sure. It would depend on when Yuuri decides he wants to visit his family on earth. It could be a while since he's only just arrived himself." Murata answered thoughtfully knowing that Yuuri would be busy with paperwork that Gwendal would have organized and waiting for him.

"Yuuri? Why can't you send Kenha?" Kagome asked knowing it could take weeks if the person Kenha mentioned had just returned.

She didn't know who it was and so didn't know if this 'Yuuri' person traveled to earth regularly.

"Yuuri is the King I have chosen for Shin Makoku. I had cultivated his soul for millennia before sending the soul of my chosen to Earth to be born. He is the one who dealt the final blow to the Originators in the end. My strength had been diminished for a while after being freed from the Originators' control. It is the reason why it took so long for me to find you, and your displacement within that world's timeline may also have been a part of the trouble I was having. I had to build my strength to bring you home. I could send Kenha in a few days, but it will take some time before I can bring him back again." Shin told her after seeing her confusion at Yuuri's name as he glanced over at Murata to ask what he wanted to do.

"I will need the time to visit Kanae's descendants on Earth to reassure them about why you disappeared so suddenly. I can deliver a letter from you then if you wish. With the time difference, I could be away a few weeks here in Shin Makoku. It might be better to wait until Yuuri goes..." Murata told her with some warning.

He knew she wouldn't be stable emotionally yet. Murata wasn't sure leaving her so soon after she had returned to Shin Makoku was a good idea. She had been left alone for far too long. She needed him to deliver the letter, but he felt he did more good for her just by being here for her right now.

"Maybe, but I also need you to pick up a few things while you're there. My sword and bow were both in my room. I will need both in the days to come." Kagome smiled at the looks of surprise.

"You think you'll be needing them?" Shin raised a brow.

The war was over. Times were now peaceful, and he had no inclination to let his sister go into battle again if he could help it. At the same time, he knew that there would be no stopping her from doing as she wished to do. He had lost that battle with her long ago and knew that after several thousand years on her own she would be no more inclined to heed his objections now than she had been then.

"There will always be some conflict in the world Shin. Just because we are at peace now does not mean it will always be so. My bow is a sacred weapon obtained after trials on Earth. My sword was gifted to me by a powerful demon lord of Earth who trained me during this lifetime. Sesshomaru was no ordinary demon, and the sword can withstand the purity of my maryoku just as he could. He was someone I cared for as I care for both of you. The sword is a part of him as it is made from his fang, and so it is precious to me. I do not wish for either to be left behind." Kagome chided him a bit before explaining that her sword also held sentimental value.

"I see. I will be sure to bring it back to you then. Is there anything else you need that was left on earth?" Murata asked having no problem with bringing back whatever she felt she needed.

"There is one more thing, but acquiring it is not a trial meant for you to undertake. That is something for Shin's chosen." Kagome said only to receive a raised brow.

"Yuuri? What is this object, Kagome?" Murata asked with a glance at Shin at seeing his expression shift and knowing that he also had some idea what she may have done, but wanting to hear it from her.

"Did you honestly think I was not going to test whoever Shin chose? No, I need to see that he's the right person for the throne for myself." Kagome sighed as Murata's glasses refracted the light and his expression shifted to one of understanding.

"You doubt my choice?" Shin visibly pouted, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that wasn't missed by the other two.

"I have always trusted you Shin, but you are not the only one to love this country we have fought so hard for. I know both you and Kenha all too well. I had hoped you would have brought me back when the boxes were to be gathered together. I had hoped to be here to see the end of them, but I also know how protective you both can be." Kagome said as she leaned forward to take their hands that were closest to her.

"I have nor will I ever doubt either of you. It was something that Kanae said after we went to Earth that made me think of testing the one Shin would choose. She reminded me before her death that I also have a duty to this land." Kagome squeezed their hands knowing that Kenha would know what she meant even if Shin didn't understand right away.

"The vow that Shin made upon the land when the kingdom was founded. Have you not noticed it has weakened?" Kagome asked having known it would happen.

"I had thought it was because I was weakened..." Shin replied with a knit in his brow while Murata's expression grew pensive.

"The oath made upon the land was made after I performed the ritual of purification that cleansed it of negativity. How many wars have been fought on these lands since? How much blood has been spilled upon the ground? Those emotions still linger even now. They weaken the protection that has been granted. Shin, the protection you promised then was made with a mixture of our Maryoku." Kagome explained softly and his blue eyes widened at the revelation.

"So the vow is two parts. The purity of your Maryoku keeps the land free of darkness and while the protection of it's inhabitants comes from the strength of Shin's Maryoku. You are as bound to this land as Shin is, but you have been gone too long." Murata concluded as his gaze shifted between the other two.

"Shin Makoku was founded upon that vow. I knew, Shin. I knew you intended to fade once the Originators were finally defeated, but I also knew you would not do so until finding someone you deem strong enough to carry on protecting our people. Your chosen would take your place as the strength that protects those who inhabit these lands. Tell me. Is there one among those of demon tribe who has maryoku that is both pure as well as strong enough to make the pledge with your chosen? Strong enough to match his maryoku to support the oath?" Kagome asked as Shin frowned with a small sigh.

"No. Ulrike has been the strongest of the priestesses born. Her soul is pure, but her maryoku is not strong enough to match Yuuri's." Shin affirmed Kagome's suspicions and she sighed as that small hope was dashed.

"The pledge must be kept, Shin. If you still intend to fade then your chosen will need to take your place. He will need to make the same pledge you did with my support. His soul would have to be bound here until someone suitable is born to replace him. The ritual the causes my rebirth can not be undone. To do so would mean my true death, and so I too must remain until one is born to replace me. It is the only way for our people to keep the protection the land provides. Ultimately, a being like the Originators would be born again as the darkness and negativity gathers upon the land." Kagome told him knowing that it would be a lot for them to place on the shoulders of Shin's chosen.

It would be a lot for anyone, but the three of them had lived for long enough to understand the need for it.

"Even then, the thought of binding someone else to our vows weights on me. Tell me, Shin. Can you condemn your Chosen to your existence? I am not sure I could should the time ever come." Kagome admitted quietly.

"I understand why you would feel the need to test Yuuri in that case, but what if Shin chooses to remain?" Murata asked as he pulled his hand away from hers to cross his arms over his chest in a position that she knew meant he was displeased at the information he was hearing.

"I would still want to test him. I want to see for myself that he is a King worthy of following. One deserving of the blessing I provide to the land of the Kingdom he rules. I want to know for myself that he is someone I can trust with the future of Shin Makoku after we have sacrificed so much." Kagome replied as Shin squeezed her hand in understanding.

"Then you will test him."

123

"Please tell me you haven't seriously been there watching me sleep all night..." Kagome groaned into her pillow three days later as her brother's corporeal spirit just smiled down at her unashamedly.

"You'll have to forgive me. I came to check on you, and just couldn't bring myself to leave." Shin said in a fond tone before Kagome huffed and gave him the evil eye.

"I was only sleeping. It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'm home; for good this time." Kagome reassured him and she sat up; letting the blanket fall to her waist to show the blue nightgown that Ulrike had given her to wear.

"I know. Kenha has reminded me as much last night." Shin replied with a bit of a teasing tone.

"Kenha was in here too? Shin! You're both still incorrigible." Kagome whined a bit while Kirara made herself comfortable on Kagome's vacated pillow.

Shin only smiled until Kagome gave up. It had been over four thousand years in Shin Makoku, and he hadn't changed at all. Every time she was sick or hurt she would wake up to his fussing since she was just a small child. Shin had been the one that took care of her the most while they were growing up. It was no wonder that he had always been so protective of her. Their father had been too busy hopping through the beds of various women, and their mother had always been emotionally detached from her children. She had been much more concerned about herself, and how she could draw their father's attention back to her then to take care of any of the children she bore the man. Neither had any time or desire to show any care for their children.

"Is there anything here for me to change into? I don't exactly have any clothes. Speaking of which, did you have to bring me home while I was bathing? When the portal let me go I was naked in the courtyard pond in front of those guys! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?" She told him irritably only to see his own eyes narrow dangerously.

"They saw you?" Shinou asked for confirmation with a look of displeasure.

"It's not like it was their fault. Kirara was the one to cover me from view until Ulrike arrived. That was all your doing." Kagome grumbled as she stood and turned to make the bed.

"I did not think about your state of dress at the time. For that, I do apologize. It was just the best opportunity I was presented with to bring you home. I could not find you until then." Shinou explained before pointing to the wardrobe when she motioned to her clothing again.

"Is there nothing a bit more simple in here?" Kagome muttered as she sorted through the clothing; everything was of a pure white, but some had colored accents.

"You are a Lady, Hanae. You should dress accordingly." Shinou said simply as she gathered underclothes and hung them over the changing screen before picking up a dress that was one of the more simply designed ones, and adding it to the other garments.

"It's Kagome now, Shin." She reminded him again before stepping behind the screen.

"You will always be Hanae to me. I told Kenha the same thing." Was his only response, and she huffed at his stubbornness.

'Why does he live to make things more difficult than they need to be?' She asked herself for probably the billionth time in her, admittedly, very long life.

She dressed quickly before stepping out in the floor-length white dress that had caught her eye. The skirt clung to her hips before loosening to flow down her legs in separate slits of cloth to look almost like flower petals. The cloth parted with every step to show glimpses of her legs and allowing her to move freely. The top wrapped tightly to her frame with lace fabric coming up from her bust and over her shoulders. It covered her front modestly while her lower back was left exposed so as not to restrict her range of movement too much. It covered everything that needed to be covered like the ones she had worn the day before but didn't restrict her. She slipped the Shikon back onto her neck after fixing the tie that held it.

All of the dresses that Shin had made sure were provided for her were at least ankle length, but they still showed off more skin than would have been appropriate for any priestess on Earth. Even in Shin Makoku most women would be dressed more modestly, but Kagome had never been one to wear anything with too many layers since she was a child in the old country. When she had joined her brothers in the new land that would become Shin Makoku in the fight against the Originators, Kagome had learned that fewer layers of fabric made for better movement on the battlefield. By the time the war was won she had become more comfortable in the simple, but beautiful, free-flowing dresses that exposed much more skin than would have been appropriate for her station. At the time her brothers had not liked the idea, but her comfort and the need to move freely in battle had won out in the end.

Her most recent human life in the modern-day era on Earth with the short school skirts had made her more adjusted to this style of dress once again. She was just happy that Shin had remembered, and did not try to have her wear the traditional priestess clothing that Ulrike wore. She may have been born both a priestess as well as a princess, later becoming a noble of Shin Makoku with her brother becoming King, but she had also been a warrior for most of her life. The consideration her brother had shown was appreciated.

"Ah, just in time I see. Sit down Kagome." Murata said as he came into the room and grabbed the hairbrush that had been sitting on the vanity.

"I can do my own hair now, Ken." She said a bit petulantly only to have him smile at her in a familiar way that she knew meant he was just indulging her with her small protest.

"Indulge me. I woke up feeling like doing it for you." He told her before she gave in easily and sat down.

"So you remember?" Kagome asked with a small smile as she felt the brush start to slide gently through her long hair.

"I do. You had trouble with how long it was." Murata replied as Shinou sat himself on the bed to watch comfortably, and a peaceful quiet moment of old memories passed between the three of them.

Her hair had been as long as Ulrike's all those years ago. It had been a tradition in the old country for a priestess to let it grow long as a symbol of their status. Kenha had often patiently helped her to manage it back then. Shin had always tried to help, but he had never really had the patience to help her with it as long as it had been, and so Kenha had often taken over when he had joined them. It had been a time spent for bonding between the two of them that had made them close over the long years. Quiet moments like this had sometimes been the only peace they'd had as they fought many battles with the Originators. It had made those times all the more precious to them.

"I guess now I will have to grow it out again." She mumbled thoughtfully after a few moments as she thought of the old tradition.

"Your hair is already almost down to your knees, Hanae. I don't think it's necessary for you to have it any longer if you don't really want to. Things have changed in Shin Makoku while you have been away." Shinou told her as Murata grabbed a few pins to hold the sides back from her face.

"I agree. Just be who you are now." Murata said as he placed the last pin and stepped back to allow the long tresses to fall in waves down her back.

"Thank you, Ken. I'm sure I have much to learn and catch up on with so much time having passed." Kagome said before standing to look between the both of them only to freeze at what he said next.

"Now you are presentable for your visit." Murata's voice was teasing and light as he looked at her.

"Kenha!" Kagome flushed as she was reminded of events from the day before, and how soon she would be meeting those people again.

"It will be fine. You look beautiful, my dear." Shinou commented, and Kagome felt the heat spread down her neck. in embarrassment

'Why was it I have missed them so much again?'

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That's it for this chapter. The next one is already complete but needs editing. I will post it when I can, but it might not be until I've got the next chapter for another story ready as well. I hope you enjoyed the sibling bonding. Let me know what you thought!

~Ryu


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